SPRINGFIELD — Quarterly employment numbers at MGM Springfield rose slightly, according to figures released by the casino Thursday.

The hiring rate at MGM Springfield is always closely watched, as job creation was a major reason for legalizing gambling in the state. MGM sold its plan to city officials and the public with the promise of 3,000 jobs, a number that was only briefly reached shortly after opening in August 2018.

MGM Springfield ended the second quarter with 1,541 employees, 36 more than the 1,505 employees in the first quarter, when the total was 1,505.

The total number of employees increased by 57 compared to the same period last year, when it was 1,484.

Of the 1,541 employees at the six-year-old, $970 million MGM casino, 1,006 are full-time employees, according to figures released Thursday by MGM in its quarterly report to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. That’s up from 979 at the end of the first quarter and 961 at the same time last year.

MGM Springfield also outlined its hiring efforts in its video conference with the Gaming Commission. It participated in local job fairs with Tech Foundry, Way Finders, MassHire Hampden County and the Westover Job Corps, and partnered with Holyoke Community College, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Springfield Public Schools Adult Education and Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy. The casino hosted a tour for students in the Holyoke Community College Culinary and Hotel Program.

MGM also recently graduated a class of auto dealer school and another class is about to begin college.

MGM spokeswoman Beth Ward said the casino has openings in all departments on site, but could not provide a number.

In January 2023, MGM CEO William Hornbuckle told reporters after a meeting with Springfield officials at City Hall that the 3,000 new jobs goal was no longer a realistic one and that MGM had overestimated the potential of a casino in Springfield.

In March 2024, Bloomberg news agency reported that parent company MGM Resorts International was exploring the idea of ​​selling MGM Springfield and another MGM property. MGM has not commented on the report.

The Gaming Commission is also monitoring MGM’s efforts to discourage underage visitors from placing bets or drinking alcohol on the premises, an ongoing problem at MGM, particularly due to the open design of the gaming area. In April, only 24 minors were intercepted on the gaming area without placing a bet, down from 29 in April 2023. In May, there were 23, down from 43 in May 2023, and in June, there were 28, down from 42 last year. For the entire quarter, only five minors were intercepted gambling, down from 10 last year. Four minors were intercepted consuming alcohol in the quarter, up from just one in all of the second quarter of 2023.

Visitors must be at least 21 years old to be allowed in the gaming area.

The Gaming Commission also released new gross gaming revenue figures for July. The casino again generated gross gaming revenue of $23.8 million from slots and table games.

This is up from $21.9 million in the previous month. In July 2023, the figure was $23.5 million.